7 Things We Can Expect With James Franco Directing The Zola Story

If there’s any semi-true Twitter tale that deserves to be made into a movie, it’s definitely the Zola stripper story about the woes of road trippin’-turned-trappin’ with randoms you met at Hooters. And not only is that already in the works, but James Franco has reportedly been tapped to direct. Which means we are in for a very WTF cinematic experience indeed.

As you might recall, Aziah “Zola” King aka @_zolarmoon quickly broke the internet last October with her batsh-t story about that time she went on an impromptu road trip to Florida to dance with a girl named Jessica, who she’d just met at the restaurant the night before, and her boyf Jarrett.

Long story short (although the long version is certainly worth a revisit), Zola wound up witnessing and participating in a whirlwind of cray where she found herself going toe-to-toe with pimps, dealing with a jeal fiancé meltdown and maybe even a murderer (although that last bit was apparently embellished for dramatic effect).

And while James Franco might be best-known for his stoner comedy turns in movies like Pineapple Express and The Interview, as well as his uberdramatic-slash-smart guy stuff with all those William Faulkner adaptations, he’s also zany AF and 100% commits to his own madness when the time is right. Here’s what we expect to happen with him at the helm of this sure-to-be-insane movie.

He’s probably going to star as Jarrett.

A24

Franco cannot and will not resist the siren song of a sick role, and there’s so much potential with the punches-himself-repeatedly sap Jarrett, who sits idly by while all this mess unfolds with his girl, sometimes even right in front of him, until he finally snaps.

The pimp character “Z” will be 10 times more dangerous.

A24

Zola’s interactions with “Z” (aka Rudy), the Nigerian pimp who took Jess for every penny she got as past-due rent, whether he arranged the earning himself or not, were out there. But with Franco at the helm, we have a feeling we’re going to learn a lot more about what this cat’s history with Jessica that ultimately led to them sticking together even after holy hell breaks loose and sending Zola and Jarrett back to Detroit alone and ridiculously confused.

There’ll be some kinda musical tribute.

A24

Gucci Mane contributed to the music (and acting) in Spring Breakers, so it’s fate that his music was exactly what Zola said she was listening to during the first act of this story — the road trek down, when everything was still pretty peachy and hadn’t devolved into a twisted terror trip just yet.

Things are going to get intense with the quickness.

A24

The movie might lead in with wit — because there’s some LOLarious humor to be had here too — but eventually the stakes start to raise ’cause, ummm, Jessica maybe-sorta gets kidnapped by some rival pimps who trick her. It’s all fun and games ’til someone gets snatched is all we’re saying.

Selena Gomez’ll probably star in it.

A24

She’s not blonde, but she’d be pretty good as Jessica, the believable-enough-to-pack-up-and-travel-with type who has a downright dirty side, as she showed us with Franco in Spring Breakers.

It’s gonna be absolutely filthy.

A24

Zola’s Twitter story was 100% NSFW, and Rated R is an understatement when it comes to all the sex, drugs and violent activities that are gonna go down if he keeps it true to the original. In fact, he’ll probably crank it up a notch and actually show the mystery murder scene go down, ’cause that’s how James Franco rolls.

Zola’s gonna be a badddd bitch.

A24

This is a girl who has the guts to stick around once the house starts getting really lit, and not only that, but she actually starts running sh-t and helps her new friend Jessica up her value as a call girl. She doesn’t wuss out or back down for one second as the sitch becomes dangerous and, let’s be honest here, kinda gross. She’s got her priorities (making some cash and surviving the weekend), but she’s also trying to look out for the girl. Trust, that will come through.